Boston (Dec. 19, 2002) -John Feeney, 8, a resident of Dorchester, Mass., was the winner of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary's annual Holiday Art Contest. The contest was open to children 10 years old and younger in the Infirmary's Vision and Hearing Care Program. The program provides free vision and hearing screenings to its "adopted" school, the Neighborhood House Charter School in Dorchester, Mass. John's drawing, featured on the cover of the Infirmary's holiday card, shows people sledding, snowboarding, and ice-skating. A snowman, a Christmas tree, and Santa Clause are also featured.

Infirmary Physician Publishes 46 Chapter Medical Textbook

BOSTON (December 13, 2002) - Gregory W. Randolph, M.D., an otolaryngologist at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, in conjunction with numerous co-authors, has published a comprehensive surgical text titled Surgery of the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands. Surgery of the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands is a 46-chapter medical textbook, which focuses on the complexity of the surgery of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. The book encompasses pre-operative evaluation, surgical anatomy, intra-operative technique and postoperative management. Many of the co-authors, surgical specialists in the fields of otolaryngology and endocrinology, are known throughout the world. Dr. Randolph graduated from Cornell Medical College in New York and performed his residency training in otolaryngology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Randolph is the director of the Infirmary's General Otolaryngology Service and the Thyroid Surgical Clinic.

Boston (Dec. 6, 2002) - Postmenopausal women who have taken hormone replacement therapy in the past were 50 percent less likely to develop the blinding disease advanced age-related maculopathy (ARM), as compared to women who never used hormone therapy. A study in this month's issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology shows that postmenopausal hormone therapy may reduce the risk of having advanced ARM among women with signs of maculopathy. "Decisions regarding postmenopausal hormone therapies are becoming increasingly complex, and it is important to evaluate their effects, including testing their relationship to eye diseases of aging," said lead author Johanna M. Seddon, M.D., Sc.M., director of the Epidemiology Unit at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. Results of this study were derived from two ongoing programs conducted by Seddon at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary: the Progression Study of Macular Degeneration and the Registry Study of Macular Degeneration. There were 394 women in the study, age 50 to 78 with early to late (advanced) maculopathy. The study compared the progression of the disease in women who reported taking postmenopausal hormone therapy in the past as compared to women who never used hormone therapy. "Few therapeutic or preventive measures exist for ARM, therefore, these results deserve further evaluation. We have added a sight exam to the Women's Health Initiative, a national randomized trial evaluating postmenopausal therapy, to test this hypothesis," said Seddon. ARM is a degenerative eye disease that affects the macula, which is responsible for central vision, which is necessary for reading, driving and recognizing people's faces. Advanced ARM is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among elderly individuals worldwide. Approximately 1.7 million people have decreased vision due to ARM, and 200,000 people develop advanced ARM with visual loss each year.

Chlamydia Pneumoniae May Contribute to Heart Attacks and Strokes

Boston (Dec. 3, 2002) - Analysis of available data suggests that Chlamydia pneumoniae, which causes "walking pneumonia," may contribute to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and its complications such as heart attack and stroke, according to a paper in the Dec. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Murat Kalayoglu, M.D., Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Peter Libby, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Gerald Byrne, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, searched MEDLINE and considered online resources, texts, meeting abstracts and expert opinion for the association between Chlamydia pneumoniae (C pneumoniae) and atherosclerosis. They included five types of studies and extracted diagnostic, pathophysiologic and therapeutic information from the selected literature. "Atherosclerosis causes approximately half of all adult deaths in the Western hemisphere and continues to be a major health problem worldwide," Kalayoglu, the lead author, said. "Traditional risk factors such as elevated cholesterol clearly contribute to these cardiovascular diseases, but leave some 40 percent of cases unexplained. Recent appreciation of atherosclerosis as a chronic, inflammatory disease has rekindled efforts to examine the role that infectious agents may play in atherogenesis." Much of this interest has focused on infection with C pneumoniae, stimulated by a variety of epidemiological, pathology-based, animal model, cell biology, and human antibiotic treatment studies. The possibility that a bacterium contributes to atherogenesis has high clinical interest, as C pneumoniae infection may represent a treatable risk factor in cardiovascular diseases. This article reviews the evidence implicating C pneumoniae in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. "Overall, analysis of available data suggests that C pneumoniae is emerging as an additional risk factor in cardiovascular diseases," Kalayoglu said. "At present, antibiotics are not indicated to prevent recurrent heart attacks or treat coronary disease. The pre-clinical evidence is significantly compelling to warrant careful further study."

Boston (Nov. 6, 2002) - Michaelle Leguerre, a nursing assistant in pediatrics at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and a resident of West Roxbury, Mass., was recently awarded the Rita Kelly Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship, given in memory of Rita Kelly, who was a highly respected Operating Room charge nurse at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, is given annually to honor an outstanding Infirmary employee. The recipient must be employed for at least two years and enrolled in nursing education courses to enhance their professional development. Ms. Legere was chosen this year because of her completed course work in nursing school, as well as her exceptional service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear.

Boston (Nov. 6, 2002) - Patricia Welch, a Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary employee for 12 years, and a resident of Quincy, Mass., was recently awarded the James Schneider Memorial Scholarship Award. The Schneider Scholarship is given annually in memory of Jim Schneider, who was a highly esteemed Pharmacy Manager at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. The scholarship honors an outstanding Massachusetts Eye and Ear employee, who has worked at the Infirmary for at least one year, and who is also taking college courses in any of the allied health fields. Ms. Welch was chosen as the 2002 recipient because of her exceptional service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear while attending nursing school.

Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary Physician Named Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School

Boston (Sept. 24, 2002) - Joan W. Miller, M.D., retina specialist and director of the Angiogenesis Laboratory at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, was recently promoted to Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Miller is the first female physician to be named a full Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. A resident of Winchester, Mass., Dr. Miller joined the full-time staff of the Infirmary's Retina Service in 1991, where she is a vitreoretinal specialist with a particular interest in macular degeneration. Dr. Miller has served as the first chairman of the Joint Governance Committee of the Center for Clinical Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, and as the first woman president of the medical staff of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Miller's research interests are focused on ocular neovascularization, particularly as it relates to macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, including the role of growth factors, the development of anti-angiogenic therapy, and photodynamic therapy. She, along with Evangelos Gragoudas, M.D., acting Chief of Ophthalmology at the Infirmary, pioneered the development of photodynamic therapy for neovascular macular degeneration, for which the Infirmary holds two U.S. patents. In addition, Dr. Miller and her colleagues were among the first to demonstrate the importance of a growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the development of ocular neovascularization and the potential use of drug therapies targeting VEGF. Dr. Miller has received numerous awards for her work, including the Rosenthal Award of the Macula Society, the Retina Research Award from the Club Jules Gonin, and the Alcon Research Institute Award. She is an internationally recognized expert in the field of macular degeneration and has published more than 47 original peer-reviewed papers, and 33 book chapters and review articles.

Public Forum on Hearing and Hearing Loss -- Have you Heard?

WHAT: The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Department of Audiology is sponsoring the second annual Public Forum on Hearing and Hearing Loss -- Have you Heard? The forum is a free program that will include lectures on hearing aid devices, advances in hearing aids, and roundtable discussions with Infirmary audiologists and otologists. The forum is intended to educate people about the different hearing aid options available and to understand the pros and cons of each. DATE: Saturday, September 21, 2002 TIME: 9 a.m. - Noon LOCATION: The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Meltzer Auditorium, 3rd floor 243 Charles Street Boston, MA The forum is free of charge and open to the public. Real-time transcription of lectures and free parking are available. For more information, call 617-573-3265 or visit www.audiology.meei.harvard.edu

Infirmary Ranked Top Hospital, Third for Otolaryngology, Fourth for Ophthalmology, in U.S. News' "America's Best Hospitals"

Boston (July 12, 2002) -- The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary ranked third in the nation for otolaryngology and fourth in the nation for ophthalmology, according to U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Hospitals" survey. "All of us take great pride in the belief that the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary provides the best possible health care to our patients," said F. Curtis Smith, president, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. "It is gratifying to receive this independent endorsement of our quality." The thirteenth annual "America's Best Hospitals" rankings was conducted in conjunction with the National Opinion Research Center, a noted social-science research group at the University of Chicago. The survey assesses hospital care in 17 medical specialties.

Infirmary Researcher Receives Fellowship

Boston (July 8, 2002) - Mansfield, Mass., resident, James Heaton, Ph.D., was selected as a recipient of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Fellowship, one of 47 50th Anniversary Scholars in Medicine Fellowships from the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Heaton's research focuses on improving the speech of people who have lost their voice boxes due to disease or injury. Dr. Heaton is part of the W.M. Keck Neural Prosthesis Research Center, which is working on an electrovibrating device and a neural interface that will provide patients with hands-free control of pitch and volume when they speak.

Infirmary Launches Voice Disorders Web Site

Boston (July 9, 2002) - The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary's Voice Disorders Center recently launched its new web site. The Center is a collaborative effort between the Division of Laryngology and the Voice and Speech Laboratory at the Infirmary, with additional contributions from other medical and/or academic departments at Harvard, MIT and the Massachusetts General Hospital. "This new web site can help those afflicted with voice disorders learn more about their disorders," says Steven Zeitels, M.D., Director of the Laryngology Division and Associate Professor of Otology and Laryngology at Harvard Medical School. The Voice Disorders Center focuses on innovative surgical approaches for treating laryngeal disorders and diseases that cause voice problems, as well as the development of new methods for assessing how the larynx functions to produce voice.

Eye Safety on the Fourth of July

Boston (June 26, 2002) - Physicians at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary are reminding people to make eye safety a priority if they are going to use fireworks or view fireworks during the Independence Day holiday. "Fireworks are capable of producing the worst type of eye injuries because they burn at such a high temperature and travel at such high rates of speed," says Lynette Watkins, M.D., Director of the Infirmary's Eye Emergency Services. "Almost all types of fireworks produce fast-moving, blunt objects. Not only is their direction unpredictable and inaccurate, but most fireworks travel too fast for people to move out of the way." According to the United States Eye Injury Registry, approximately 12,000 Americans are treated in emergency departments annually for firework-related injuries, and approximately 2,000 of those injuries involve the eye. Bottle rockets are a major cause of fireworks-related eye injuries and nearly all serious eye injuries are caused by them. However, other fireworks can rupture, burn, cut, scrape and severely bruise the eye, as well as the facial areas surrounding the eye and the face. Dr. Watkins says that even sparklers are dangerous as they emit flying particles.

Dr. Watkins offers the following medical tips in case an eye injury does occur: • Do not try to remove any protruding objects from the eye. • Flush the eye with water to remove any particles that are present. • Cover the eye loosely for comfort and seek immediate medical attention. The Eye Trauma Service is a unique division of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. This service provides specialized care to patient who have suffered from severe and extensive eye injuries and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Swimmer's Ear: How To Avoid This Common Ear Problem

Boston (June 18, 2002) - It's that time of year when millions of people head to their local beaches and pools to beat the summer heat. Unfortunately, it is also the time when some people head to hospital emergency rooms for treatment of a painful ear infection, called swimmer's ear. "Swimmer's ear is one of the most common ear problems seen by ear, nose and throat physicians (otolaryngologists) during the summer months," says Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Otologist, Steven Rauch, M.D. Medically known as external otitis, swimmer's ear is an infection of the outer ear canal that occurs mainly during humid, hot weather. It often is initiated by trauma, such as a scratch in the ear canal; or by swimming, as prolonged exposure to water softens the ear canal's skin allowing bacteria to penetrate the skin and cause an infection. According to Dr. Rauch, early symptoms of swimmer's ear include pain in and around the ear, often aggravated by movements of the jaw. In later stages, the infection may cause the ear canal to swell shut, resulting in hearing loss; there may be discharge from the ear; and the pain can become excruciating. Treatment for swimmer's ear can include antibiotic ear drops, oral antibiotics, and pain medication. In some cases, a wick is inserted in the ear canal to help dry out the ear. "Fortunately," says Dr. Rauch, "the majority of cases of swimmer's ear are preventable." He offers the following tips for protecting the ear and preventing ear infections: • Do not use pens, cotton swabs or other objects to clean the ears or to remove wax from the ear canal. A healthy ear usually is self-cleaning. • Remove any water from the ear canal after swimming or showering by placing a dropperful of rubbing alcohol into each ear. The alcohol works as an antiseptic and dries out the ear canal as it evaporates. • Use a hair dryer on a low, warm setting to blow warm air into the ear to speed up the water's rate of evaporation. "People who are diabetic, have a hole or tube in their eardrum, have undergone ear surgery, or are prone to swimmer's ear must be extra careful to prevent water from entering their ears while they are swimming or showering," Dr. Rauch points out.

Shaun R. Levesque Elected Trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Boston (June 10, 2002) - Shaun R. Levesque, a resident of Wrentham, Mass., has been elected to a five-year term as a trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Mr. Levesque is currently the President and Managing Director of CDC IXIS Asset Management Associates in Boston. Prior to that he served as Senior Vice President and Director of Marketing at Baring Asset Management. Mr. Levesque received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University, his Master of Arts in Communication from Stanford University, and his Masters of Business Administration from Northeastern University.

Mary T. Marshall Elected Trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Boston (June 7, 2002) - Mary T. Marshall, a resident of Boston, Mass., has been elected to a five-year term as a trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Ms. Marshall is a partner at Pitt, Hubbard & Marshall, LLP, where she specializes in real estate land use and environmental law. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame, and is a graduate of Boston College Law School. Ms. Marshall currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston and as Vice Chairwomen of the Greater Boston Catholic Charities Advisory Board of Directors.

Richard E. Nicolazzo Elected Trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Boston(June 7, 2002) - Richard E. Nicolazzo, a resident of Boston, Mass., has been elected to a five-year term as a trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Mr. Nicolazzo is the founder, president, and chief executive officer of Nicolazzo & Associates, a company specializing in strategic communications management. Prior to that he was an executive with Burson-Marsteller in New York City. Mr. Nicolazzo is a graduate of Boston University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts and Master's in Public Relations.

Barry S. Scheur Elected Trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Boston (June 10, 2002) - Barry S. Scheur, a resident of Newton, Mass., has been elected to a five-year term as a trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Since 1988, Mr. Scheur has served as president of the Scheur Management Group, Inc., a specialized healthcare operations management and business revitalization consulting firm. In 1997 he founded Catalyst Health and Technology Partners, a merchant banking venture firm. Mr. Scheur also serves as Chairman of The OATH, Inc, a company that he founded in 1999 that acquires distress health maintenance organizations (HMOs) for turnaround. Mr. Scheur is a graduate of Tufts University and Yale Law School.

Senator Robert E. Travaglini Elected Trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

BOSTON (June 10, 2002) -Senator Robert E. Travaglini, a resident of Boston, Mass., has been elected to a five-year term as a trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Senator Travaglini is currently serving in his fourth term as Massachusetts State Senator for the Suffolk and Middlesex district. At the outset of his fourth term, in 1999, he was appointed to Senate Majority Whip after serving as Senate Vice-Chairman of Ways and Means from 1997-1998. He is also currently the Senate Chairman of the Massachusetts Legislative Children's Caucus. Prior to joining the Senate in 1993, Senator Travaglini served for five terms on the Boston City Council. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Boston State College, and also furthered his education at Boston University's School for Public Communication.

THE EYE SITE Traveling Exhibit will be at the CambridgeSide Galleria June 3 - 22, 2002

Boston, MA (May 17, 2002) -THE EYE SITE - the National Eye Institute's traveling exhibit on low vision-will open in Boston on June 3, 2002, at the CambridgeSide Galleria. U.S. Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D, Mass.) will open the exhibit with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon on June 3. THE EYE SITE, which provides information on low vision in English and Spanish, features five kiosks with an interactive multimedia touchscreen program, a display of assistive devices, and a list of local low vision resources. The exhibit is free and open to the public during all mall business hours. The National Eye Institute, one of the Federal government's National Institutes of Health, developed THE EYE SITE as part of its Low Vision Education Program. The program is designed to help people understand what low vision is (vision problems that interfere with the ability to perform everyday activities) and explain what steps they can take to stay independent despite vision loss. Approximately one in 20 Americans has low vision. The tour's New England Host Committee includes Children's Hospital Medical Center; Connecticut Society of Eye Physicians; Greater Boston Aid to the Blind; Masonic Healthcare Facility, Low Vision Clinic; Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary; New England College of Optometry; New England Eye Center; The Schepens Eye Research Institute; and Yale Eye Center. For more information please call the Vision Rehabilitation Center at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 617-573-5510. Visit THE EYE SITE Website at www.nei.nih.gov/nehep/eyesite. The National Eye Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is the Federal government's lead agency for vision research that leads to sight-saving treatments and plays a key role in reducing visual impairment and blindness. The NIH is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Eye site announcement in pdf format.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Elects New Residency Program Director for Ophthalmology

Boston(May 2, 2002) - John Loewenstein, M.D., a resident of Brookline, Mass., was recently elected as the new residency program director for the Department of Ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Loewenstein oversees all aspects of the residency training program in Ophthalmology. Dr. Loewenstein is responsible for resident selection, scheduling, training, evaluation and overseeing of the accreditation of the program. The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Residency Program in Ophthalmology trains residents who will evolve into leadership roles in ophthalmology. The program consists of a 36-month period designed to provide gradually increasing responsibility in clinical eye care. Currently, there are seven residents per year in the three-year period. As of July 1, 2002, the number of residents selected will increase to eight.

Boston (April 26, 2002) - Jeffery Schuster, a resident of Dedham, Mass., recently joined the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary as manager of Diagnostic Imaging. Mr. Schuster's responsibilities include managing all functions of the imaging department, diagnostics, CAT Scan and MRI, budgetary functions and supervision of support staff. Mr. Schuster will also work closely with the chairman of Radiology, Hugh Curtin, M.D. Prior to joining the Infirmary, Mr. Schuster was employed at Newton-Wellesley Hospital as the clinical supervisor of Radiology.

Infirmary Builds New Family Waiting Area and Resource Center

Boston (March 7, 2002) -The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary recently completed its renovation of the Family Waiting Area and Resource Center located on the 7th floor. The new waiting area now has a formal check-in desk, new lighting, new furniture and a large screen television that was donated by Infirmary Trustees Solomon and Georgette Boucai. The Family Waiting Area and Resource Center is intended to provide comfort to family and friends of patients treated at the Infirmary. Doctors call the volunteer at the check-in desk to relay information to family members.

Philip Johnson Appointed as Director of Revenue Cycle Operations at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Boston (March 7, 2002) - Philip Johnson, a resident of Lynnfield, Mass., was recently appointed as director of Revenue Cycle Operations at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. In this position, Mr. Johnson will be responsible for all aspects of the revenue cycle at the Infirmary, including admitting, registration, charge capture, billing and collections. Prior to being appointed to this position, Mr. Johnson was the Infirmary's Controller for the past 10 years and has been with the Infirmary since 1984.

Boston (March 7, 2002) - Patricia McDonald was recently appointed as the new manager of the Eye Plastics Service. Ms. McDonald's duties include overseeing the daily operations of the Eye Plastics Service, including booking surgeries and helping patients. Prior to her new appointment, Ms. McDonald was a medical staff assistant in Eye Plastics.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Employee Updates

Boston (March 1, 2002) - Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary has recently promoted two employees and hired another. Patricia McDonald was promoted to manager of Eye Plastics. Her responsibilities will include overseeing the daily operations of the Eye Plastics Service. Barbara Scully was promoted to director of Professional Billing for the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Associates. Her duties will include managing the accounts receivable for the entire physicians practice including the anesthesia, medical unit, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and radiology specialties departments. John Randazzo recently joined the Infirmary as manager of the Cornea and Refractive Surgery department. His responsibilities include staff supervision, budgeting, working with the director of the Cornea and Refractive Surgery department, and handling special projects.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Appoints New Manager of Cornea and Refractive Surgery

Boston (February 22, 2002) - John Randazzo, a resident from Lowell, Mass., recently joined the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary as manager of the Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service. Mr. Randazzo's duties include staff supervision, budgeting, working directly with the director of the Cornea and Refractive department, and handling special projects. Prior to joining the Infirmary, Mr. Randazzo was the lead refractive technician at the Lahey North Peabody Eye Institute.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Appoints Director of Professional Billing for Massachusetts Eye and Ear Associates

Boston (February 22, 2002) - Barbara Scully, a resident of Walpole, Mass., was recently named the director of Professional Billing for Massachusetts Eye and Ear Associates (MEEA). Ms. Scully is responsible for managing the accounts receivable for the entire physicians practice including the anesthesia, medical unit, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and radiology specialties departments. Prior to her recent appointment, Ms. Scully was the professional billing manager for the Department of Otolaryngology.

Infirmary Employee Receives Black Achievers Award

Boston (February 13, 2002) - A resident of Roxbury, Mass., Dale Jarvis, Safety and Security Coordinator at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, was selected as one of this year's YMCA Black Achievers Award recipients. Black Achiever's Award recipients are recognized for their career accomplishments and for their commitment to the development of young people. Mr. Jarvis has been employed at the Infirmary since October 1998 and continues to serve the Infirmary and its patients in a professional and courteous manner. In addition to committing his time to his family and church, Mr. Jarvis plans to volunteer at Boston area youth programs. "Children are our hope for the future," he says. "I will do what it takes to help them become productive members of our community." The 27th Black Achievers Gala was held at the Boston Marriott, Copley Place on Jan. 31. Fifty-nine Black Achievers received an award for their accomplishments. Former television anchorwoman, Liz Walker, served as Mistress of Ceremonies.

Infirmary Hires Vice President of Human Resources

Boston (February 7, 2002) - Christine Regan, a resident of Boston, recently joined the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary as vice president of Human Resources. Ms. Regan's duties include directing the activities of employment, employee/labor relations, compensation and benefits, management education and record keeping. Ms. Regan will focus on analyzing human resources programs to ensure a fit with the goals of the Infirmary. Prior to joining the Infirmary, Ms. Regan was an independent contractor for The Hunter Group. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in health administration and planning at the University of New Hampshire and her Master of Business Administration from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire.

Michael A. Ervolini Elected Trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Boston (January 17, 2002) - Michael A. Ervolini, founder of Charter Research Corporation, has been elected to a five-year term as a trustee of the Corporation of the Foundation of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Mr. Ervolini, a resident of Winthrop, Mass., has been involved in investment management, software development and commercial real estate for more than twenty-three years. Prior to founding Charter Research Corporation, Mr. Ervolini was the Chief Information Officer at Aldrich, Eastman & Waltch, an institutional money management company.